Road-surfacing machine



April 1 1924.

ROAD SURFACING MACHINE D. T. AUSTIN Filed Aug. 25 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

April 1 ,1924.

D. T. AUSTIN ROAD SURFACING MACHINE File ug- 25. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ADM NINVENTOR. A Z t A TTORNEYI,

Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES DAVID T. AUSTIN, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

BOAD-SUBFAGING IJACHINE.

ApplicationfiledsAugust 25, 1922. Serial No. 584,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID T. Ans-TIN, citizen of the United States,residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Surfacing Machines, of which the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a road surfacing machine.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described specially designed for distributing asphalt, or other similar topping over road surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterdescribed,

equipped with means for easily cleansing the nozzles, from any material which may tend to harden in said nozzles and clog the same,

thus keeping the nozzles at all times clean and open.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for utilizing the exhaust from the motor, by which the machine is propelled, for the purpose of cleansing said n0zzles,and also for the purpose of increasing the draft through the draft flue.

A still further feature of the invention resides in. the provision of an apparatus of the so character described which is constructed and arranged in a compact manner and so mounted that it is portable and can be readily moved over the road surface for the purpose of applying the topping, or surfacing material and can be readily moved from one place to another without dismembering any of the parts.

IVith the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view and,

Figure 3 is a rear elevation.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the frame or chassis of the truck which is mounted on carrier wheels in the usual manner. The truck is propelled in a conventional manner through the usual motor enclosed by the hood 2. Mounted upon the truck framework there is the furnace 3, prefbustion chamber 4 within whichthe boiler '5 is mounted. This boiler or tank is provided to contain thesurfacing material, the same usually being asphalt or other heavy bitumen which inust be heated before it can be spread on the road surface. The tank 5 hasthe usual manhole 6 through which it may be filled, and leading from the furnace there is the usual Smokestack T. A feed pipe 8 leads from the front end ofthe tank 5 and passes through the furnace, and at its rear end divides into the branch pipes 9, 9 which enter opposite ends of the nozzle pipe 10. This nozzle pipe is equipped with a plurality of nozzles, any type of nozzle may be employed which may be found most practical, but usually a type of whirling spray nozzle is employed. The feed pipe 8 is equipped with a suitable force pump 12 which is driven from the, motor through suitable driving connections, a driving sprocket.

chain 13 being shown for this purpose. The feed pipe 8 is controlled by suitable valves 14 and 15 located near the inlet and discharge ends of said pipe respectively.

It is to be noted that the road surfacing material must be raised to a high tempera ture before it will be sufiiciently fluent for application to the road surface, and it must be delivered through the nozzles under considerable pressure onto the road surface. In order to obtain the best results thenozzles must be kept clean and open so as to not obstruct the free discharge of the heated fluid through them. This is rather difiicult for the reason that after the machine has been used if the nozzles are permitted to 0001, without first cleansing them of the surfacing material, saidmaterial will harden and clog the nozzles, making it very diflicult to cleanse them.

For the purpose of cleansing the nozzlesI have extended the exhaust pipe 16, leading from the motor and conducted it through the furnace and connected it into the nozzle pipe 10, as shown. This extended exhaust pipe has a gate valve 17, by means of which it may be closed. When this valve is closed the exhaust from the motor passes out through the usual cut out valve, not shown, but in common use.

In operation after each use of the apparatus and before the bitumen hardens in the nozzle pipe the valve 17 is opened and the engine is permitted to run so as to force the exhaustgases through the nozzle pipe 10 and out throu 'h the nozzles 11. These gases are very hot by reason of the fact that the extended exhaust pipe continues through the furnace and the result is that all of the accumulated material in the nozzle pipes and nozzles is thoroughly melted and blown out of said nozzle pipe and nozzles leaving the same clean.

There is a return pipe 18 leading out from the rear end of the feed pipe 8 and entering the top. of the tank 5. This is cont-rolled by the valve 19, and there is a pipe 20 connecting said feed pipe and return pipe and forming a bypass. When the exhaust is being used for cleansing out the nozzle pipe and nozzles the valve 15 is turned to close the pipe 8 and the material driven by the pump 12 is forced through the return pipe 18 back into the tank. This valve 15, however is open and the valve 19 is closed during surfacing operations permitting the road material to pass freely into the nozzle pipe 10 to be discharged from the nozzles 11.

When the valve 15 is turned to open the pipe 8, it closes the by-pass 20 and vice versa. In order to reduce the amount of material delivered onto the road surface, the valve 19 maybe partly opened so that a part of the material being pumped through the pipe 8 will be returned to the tank 5 through the pipe 18, and the amount of material delivered to the road surface correspondingly reduced. The arrangement of the valve 15 is such that, when the pump is working, the fluid will always be delivered either through the nozzle pipe to the road surface, or returned back into the tank, thus preventing over strain upon the pump or the bursting of the pump, or the delivery line 8.

Connected into the extended exhaust pipe 16 there is draft pipe 21 extending up through the draft flue 22 and into the smoke stack 7. This draft pipe is controlled by the valve 23 and when the material is being heated the valve 17 is closed and the valve 23 opened, and an additional draft will thus be created up through said smoke stack thus assisting in the combustion of the fuel in the chamber 4.

What I claim is 1. A road surfacing apparatus including a motor vehicle, a furnace thereon, a boiler arranged adjacent the furnace, a nozzle pipe provided with a plurality of nozzles, a delivery pipe connecting the boiler with the nozzle pipe, a pump driven by the vehicle motor and connected with the delivery pipe, and an exhaust pipe leading from the exhaust manifold of themotor through said furnace and entering the nozzle pipe.

2. The combination with a motor vehicle of a road surfacing apparatus mounted thereon, and including a furnace, a boiler adjacent the furnace, a nozzle pipe formed witla plurality of nozzles, a delivery pipe connected at one end into said boiler and passing through said furnace, and connected at its other end into said nozzle pipe, an exhaust pipe leading from the exhaust manifold of the motor and passing through said furnace and permanently connected into the nozzle pipe, and means controlling the flow of fluid through said delivery pipe and said exhaust pipe, whereby the exhaust from the motor may be driven alternatively through the smoke-stack and exhaust pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 DAVID T. AUSTIN. Vfitnesses W. H. DUNLAY, E. V. HARDWAY. 

